Whether it is your first time or your 5th time submitting photos to a stock company, it is good to have the general knowledge on what to expect as a stock photographer and what you should have prepared to move the process along quickly.
CEO and founder of Scopio, Christina Hawatmeh shares some of her tips for beginner stock photographers to make those first submissions run smoothly.
Watch this quick tip to find out how long it takes for photos to get approved!
1. Submit at least 50 images
It might seem like a lot, but for the seasoned photographer that has thousands of unused images on their hard drive, this is number should not be an issue. It is very important that you submit as many images as you can - because depending on the stock agencies requirements and business needs (or trending image needs) you will want to give them options and varieties because they might prefer the way one image is cropped in comparison to another when comparing sister images. Or there might be a specific need for at home images, or education images, and so on. Just make sure to diversify your submissions and to submit in bulk.
2. Submit the model release within 2 days of submitting photos
The importance of commercial ready images in the stock photo world is huge. Businesses are primarily searching a photo marketplace with ready to go commercial images. So if your images do not have the model release, OR if they have logos on them - then that means that the business cannot use them & if they cannot use them then that directly equates to whether your images are purchased or downloaded. Lot's of stock agencies have an FTP in place where they can actually accept a universal model release that was signed and dated in the last 2 years. So a good rule is to have your models sign the release directly after the shoot, and then store that document with the images from that specific shoot. Every agency has their own requirements, at Scopio we have created an electronic model release that can be emailed to your models and signed within minutes. However, some agencies will require a wet signature, which means that you will have to print out the model release, and have the model sign it, and then upload it and send it in.
Do your research...
So the moral of the story try to make the process as easy on yourself as possible. Research the agency you will submit to, and find out their requirements, do they allow a universal model release, or do they have an electronic signature process? All of this is important, because otherwise you might find that your images are marked as editorial and not getting the use they merit.
3. Expect the review process to take around 2-3 weeks
Another reason to submit in large batches, and to make sure you have your model release ready is because the process is not instantaneous. It does take time to review, tag, title and curate the images. Even though we use artificial intelligence to help us speed up this process, every process has to run its course. So allow yourself the opportunity to get ahead of the game and submit in bulk. We allow up to 500 images per submission. But you can submit more than once (even in one day!)
4. Submit regularly (think of Social Media)
Just like your social media platforms it is always a good idea to refresh your images and keep your profile current. Your photo portfolio on any stock agency is tracked by keywords and tags - which means that you will start to attract certain businesses and users that will keep coming back to your portfolio find your photos. You'll in essence, gain your following. So the best thing you can do is to give them a regular batch of new images to choose from. Remember, the more downloads you have the more you'll get paid.
On a side note...
One thing that we do at Scopio is allow the business to get in touch with the photographer personally, so that they can pay you to create custom shoots for them! It is a great business opportunity, and another reason that we suggest to submit often. We can't speak for every stock agency, but this is something we created to give you more of a chance at growing your income.
5. Know the difference between exclusive and non-exclusive images
This one is important and quite simple.
- Exclusivity simply means that you sign over full rights to your images to the company- it means that the company is now the legal and full owner of those images.
- Non- Exclusive means that you give permissions to that agency to distribute and market your images and anyone that acts as a user/buyer or subscriber to that site will have the rights to using your images on their website, merchandise, and so on!
At Scopio we work with non-exclusive images, as we want the artist to maintain rights to their images and have the opportunity to continue using them as they please.
Just as a bonus (because we think this is the most important thing) is to maintain your identity as a photographer and creator. We know a lot of companies have strict requirements and regulations for the photos you submit, but that takes away the authenticity of the images - and now more than ever, accurate representation is important. So find an agency that supports your freedom of expression and last but not least, get started!
Have fun creating!
Article written by Dana Balsley
Community and Marketing Manager at Scopio
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